On noble Nobel
Friday, 23. October 2009, 11:59:00
You know what the problem is? The media is so obsessed with war, that we've come to think of it as peaceful.
So I did a quick poll, and had a look.
How else are we to know the public opinion on war, than through an independent poll? And as it turns out, most people considered war 'none of the above'. The way I see this answer, is that nobody really cares for war. It's neither peaceful, nor exciting, nor fun.
Then I travelled to people living in areas at war. Dodging the shells, bullets tanks driven by privatised privates, I did manage to talk to the few civilians around who hadn't been blasted to bits yet. And to my great surprise, most of them also voted none of the above – and some slapped me for wasting their time. Basic survival seemed more important to them than an armchair investigator.
So was my daddy right?
I don't think so. You can't blame a parrot for repeating what he hears! You can't blame a cock for fighting! It's not the media's fault. The media's unbiased, and just reports what happens in the world, right? On top of that, nobody considered war peaceful in my poll.
So how can the man of many words, but fewer actions, who is responsible for at least the continuation of many of the wars, be considered a peace hero? Has Nobel become less noble?
I mean, our fresh peace laureate has already sent 21 000 more troops to Afghanistan this year, and is considering sending another 40 000 (check the source. I wonder if these troops are paid by the government, or contracted by private firms, but that is a different topic. These soldiers kill over 1000 civilians a year in Afghanistan alone, although it's carefully kept from the press how many die exactly.
In the coming twelve months, the Nobel committee will need to work hard on their image, to make this award prestigious once again; because even our laureate doesn't seem to think he deserves the prize; be it for peace or economics. And after that, he had some Maryland crabcakes
The way for the Nobel committee to gain more respect, and make the prize once again a prestigious one, I suggest next year's peace prize goes to someone who hasn't been in the news at all. Someone who hasn't contributed to international war in that year. Someone who has constantly preached for a lighter atmosphere in the world, and creative approaches to solve the world's biggest problems.
Me.
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